Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) signed two Memorandums of Agreement (MoA) with two Indonesian universities and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an industrial partner in Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday.
The MoAs were between UKM's Faculty of Medicine and Padjadjaran University's Faculty of Medicine (UNPAD) and UKM's Faculty of Education and Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia’s (UPI) Faculty of Language and Literature.
“As for the MoU, it is a collaboration between the Centre for Shaping Advanced & Professional Education (UKMShape) and PT Tracol Asia Indonesia,” said UKM in a statement today.
The signing of the MoAs and MoU, aimed at increasing the cooperation between higher education institutions between the two nations, was witnessed by the Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Also present were the Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Syed Md Hasrin Tengku Hussin; Higher Education Department director-general Prof Dr Azlinda Azman; UKM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ekwan Toriman; Indonesian Higher Education director-general, Research and Technology, Prof Nizam, and director-general of the Head of Sub-Directorate for Institutional and Cooperation of the Directorate of Islamic Religious Higher Education Indonesia, Dr Thobib Al Asyhar Msi.
In the meantime, Mohd Ekwan said the MoU between UKM and UNPAD is aimed at reducing the duration of the UKM-UNPAD medical degree from six to five years, with the first two years of preclinical studies at UNPAD and three years for the clinical level at UKM.
He said that graduates will receive two degrees - from UNPAD and UKM, respectively.
“The implementation of the five-year curriculum by UKM and UNPAD is subject to the conditions precedent set out in the MoU, which is to obtain approval and review from all parties, which meet the conditions, requirements and approvals related to the programme,” he added.
He also added that the signing of the MoA between UKM and UPI is aimed at building a good relationship with the university, in terms of teaching and learning, supervision, research and publication, as well as capacity building among students and staff.
“Among the activities that will be implemented throughout this five-year agreement are dual degrees collaboration at the undergraduate or graduate levels, student and staff mobility programmes, supervisory collaboration, research and high-impact publications,” he said.
Meanwhile, the MoU between UKM and PT Tracol Asia Indonesia is to establish cooperation to open UKM’s Offshore Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“This collaboration will witness the opening of UKM's second offshore learning centre after the opening of the first one in Qatar at the end of this year. It also seeks to strengthen the relationship between the two institutions in various fields of studies at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels,” Mohd Ekwan said.
He added that an estimated 3,000 students will benefit from this collaboration over the next 10 years.
There are 10 majors offered by the UKM and PT Tracol Asia Indonesia cooperation, five at the Master's level, including TESL, Architecture, Psychology, Computer Science and Master of Business Management (MBA), as well as five majors at the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level, such as Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Education, Economics and Architecture.
“All these collaborations have the potential to make a big impact in Malaysia, especially on UKM and the Ministry of Higher Education, and to enhance our international presence with well-known universities in Indonesia.
“This collaboration would also produce competitive graduates and staff, with global interaction experience through mobility or capacity building programmes and stimulate cross-cultural exchanges that encourage economic growth for both countries,” he said.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency